Zainab Salam
Capitalism has no place in Islamic practices
November 11, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor In this social media age, we are invited inside people’s homes to witness their daily lives. We catch glimpses of the way they practice their faith, celebrate events, and live out their daily rituals. Some of that content details the festive rituals that Muslims partake in when observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Unfortunately, a subset of those activities is misaligned with core Islamic teachings. Over the last few Ramadans, I have noticed, along with anyone who has spent time online in that corner of the internet, the growing visibility of capitalist consumerism among…
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Finding beauty in ordinary nature
November 11, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor Driving up Burnaby Mountain the other day, I was engulfed by a sense of awe at the scenery that surrounded me. The sight of the yellowing leaves dotted with raindrops that sparkled like tiny jewels.…
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Learning Spanish made my world more expansive
November 11, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor When I was around eight years old, I had a friend who used to take me to her church’s community hall on weekends. Being me, I was always open to learning new things. So I’d…
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My journey infiltrating the country of Islam
November 11, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Sand Excavator Mission report: Desert Day 1 Subject: Bringing Civilization™ to the so-called Orient. “Girl, we going to Islam?” That is what I asked my adjutant upon dismounting the camel. He nodded gravely. Neither of us knew…
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We need to persist beyond symbolism
November 10, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor Every September 30, since 2021, we see public statements made by institutions and corporations that are still operating on unceded land — statements to remind us to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.…
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Convenience isn’t always indulgence
November 10, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor and Michelle Young, Co-Editor-in-Chief Working in the food service industry, we often receive single-item delivery orders for something easy to make. When that happens, at least one person makes a snide remark regarding the “silly”…
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A Squishmallow-cuddling partner is a no-go
November 9, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Relationship Expert Squishmallow stans may be ready to march with their plush armies after reading this article, but the truth is, owning a Squishmallow just might be a sign of the times. From what I’ve been witnessing,…
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We must choose to rest and re-charge
November 9, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor Today’s jam-packed schedules have become the norm. Most people have to juggle a seemingly endless list of tasks and responsibilities just to keep up with the demands of modern life. Plenty of the people I…
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Reading for joy is enough
November 8, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor You’ve probably witnessed it before — someone suggesting, with smugness only a self-proclaimed intellectual can summon, that reading authors like Dostoevsky is the only proper way to engage with true literature. I say this as…
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The sweet relief of no final exams
November 8, 2025By: Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor Don’t you just love it when a course doesn’t have a final exam? I know I do. A certain joy overtakes me when I realize that one of my courses won’t end with me scribbling…
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